Throughout the entire month, Renji didn't just visit the library—
He lived in it.
From the moment the first rays of sunlight touched the town, to the quiet dimness of dusk, his presence remained buried within the towering shelves of knowledge. Dust particles floated lazily in the golden light that streamed through tall windows, but Renji never noticed them.
His world had narrowed.
To pages.
To ink.
To understanding.
Stack after stack of books surrounded him like walls.
Thick volumes—some worn with age, others preserved with magic—lay open across the table, overlapping each other in chaotic layers. His fingers were often stained faintly with ink from turning pages too quickly, too frequently.
History.
War chronicles.
Bloodline records.
Magical theory.
Again and again, his eyes moved across the same word—
Humanlords.
At first, it had only been curiosity.
Now—
It had become necessity.
He read about ancient wars that reshaped continents.
Conflicts where entire races clashed, where cities vanished, where the balance of power shifted with a single individual's strength.
He read about royal bloodlines—families whose influence spanned centuries, whose names alone carried authority.
He studied magic—not just how to cast it, but how it flowed, how it evolved, how it differed between races.
And every time he closed one book—
He opened another.
There was no pause.
No break.
No hesitation.
But studying alone wasn't enough.
When the library closed—
His training began.
The quiet stillness of the library was replaced by the raw intensity of effort.
Outside, under the open sky or within empty training grounds, Renji pushed himself beyond comfort.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Mana control.
He sat still for hours, focusing on the flow inside his body—guiding it, compressing it, stabilizing it. At first, it resisted. It scattered. It slipped from his grasp.
But he forced it back.
Relentlessly.
Physical conditioning.
His muscles screamed in protest as he trained—running, striking, enduring. His body wasn't naturally built like a warrior's, but he didn't allow that to become an excuse.
He compensated.
With effort.
With repetition.
Spell practice.
Over and over, he cast the same spells.
Fire.
Water.
Wind.
Again.
And again.
Until the air around him shimmered faintly with leftover mana.
Until his arms felt heavy.
Until even lifting his hand required effort.
But he didn't stop.
Because the entrance exam—
Was getting closer.
Each passing day chipped away at the time he had left.
What once felt distant now loomed right in front of him.
Only days remained.
Failure wasn't an option.
Not for him.
Not after everything.
So he pushed further.
Even when his vision blurred.
Even when his thoughts slowed.
Even when exhaustion crept into his bones like poison.
Sleep became an inconvenience.
Something unnecessary.
Something he could reduce.
And reduce it, he did.
Nights grew shorter.
Rest became lighter.
Yet—
He kept going.
"Renji, wake up. It's morning already!"
Mizuki's voice cut through the silence like a sharp blade.
The peaceful stillness of the room shattered instantly.
Renji groaned in response, his body refusing to cooperate. He rolled onto his side, pulling the blanket tighter around himself as if it were his final line of defense.
His face sank deeper into the pillow.
"Mom… just five more minutes…"
Silence.
For exactly one second.
"I'M NOT YOUR MOM!!"
The explosion of her voice echoed through the room.
Before he could even process what was happening—
The blanket vanished.
Cold air rushed against his skin.
"Wha—?!"
Mizuki didn't give him time to react.
Her hand shot forward, grabbing his arm with surprising force. Despite her spiritual form, her grip was firm—unyielding.
In one swift motion—
She yanked him upright.
Renji's body followed unwillingly.
The sudden movement sent a wave of dizziness through him.
Cold morning air hit his face like a slap, forcing his eyes open slightly. A faint shiver ran down his spine.
"I'm still sleepy…" he mumbled weakly, his voice barely holding together.
Mizuki stared at him.
Unimpressed.
Unmoved.
Then she sighed.
A small, annoyed sound.
Her fingers snapped.
A thin stream of water formed instantly in the air.
It twisted and curled like a ribbon—smooth, controlled, almost elegant in its movement.
Before Renji could react—
It rushed straight into his mouth.
"—?!"
The cool sensation spread instantly.
It brushed across his teeth, his tongue, every corner of his mouth with unnatural precision.
There was no mess.
No excess.
No wasted motion.
Just—
Perfect control.
Within seconds—
It was over.
Renji blinked.
His mouth felt completely clean.
"...What kind of magic was that?"
"Basic water magic," Mizuki replied casually, as if she had just done something completely ordinary. "You'd know if you actually paid attention during practice."
Renji opened his mouth to argue—
But didn't get the chance.
A piece of bread was shoved straight into his mouth.
"Mmph—!"
His cheeks puffed slightly as he tried to process what was happening.
Before he could even chew properly—
Mizuki tilted a glass.
Water followed.
Directly.
Renji panicked slightly, trying to swallow everything at once.
He coughed, choking lightly as he forced the food down.
"Hey! I'm not some kind of eating machine!" he protested, wiping his mouth.
"Hurry up," Mizuki snapped without hesitation. "Rika is waiting."
Renji frowned.
"We still have four days left…"
A weak argument.
And even he knew it.
Mizuki crossed her arms.
Her eyes narrowed.
The look she gave him—
Was absolute.
No room for debate.
No space for excuses.
Renji sighed.
He had already lost.
Sunlight slipped through the window, spreading across the wooden floor in soft golden lines.
Dust particles drifted lazily in the air, glowing faintly under the morning light.
Outside—
The town was waking.
Distant chatter echoed through the streets.
Vendors calling out.
Carts rolling over stone roads with a steady clatter.
The smell of fresh bread lingered in the air—
Warm.
Inviting.
Another day had begun.
And for Renji—
Rest wasn't part of it.
Mizuki didn't give him another chance to complain.
A bundle of clothes flew through the air—
Landing directly on his face.
"Get dressed. Now."
Renji pulled the shirt off his head slowly, still half-asleep.
He rubbed his eyes.
"You're way too strict this early in the morning…"
"If I wasn't, you'd sleep until noon."
"...That's not wrong."
"Exactly."
A brief pause.
Renji sighed again.
Defeated.
He began changing, his movements slow but steady.
Meanwhile—
Mizuki stood near the window.
Arms crossed.
Posture straight.
Watching him.
Like a supervisor monitoring a particularly unreliable worker.
Sunlight passed through her translucent figure, giving her a faint glow.
Her pink hair shimmered softly under the light—
Like cherry blossoms touched by dawn.
For a spirit—
She looked strangely normal.
Too normal.
Domestic.
The thought appeared suddenly in Renji's mind.
Like a wife making sure her useless husband didn't ruin his own life.
He froze for half a second.
Then—
He chuckled.
Mizuki's eyes narrowed immediately.
"Why are you smiling like an idiot?"
Renji looked away.
"Nothing."
"...Suspicious."
The way she said it—
Made it clear she didn't believe him.
But she didn't push further.
And for once—
Renji was grateful.